Google scoops up ex-Microsoftie Don Dodge

(Credit: Don Dodge on The Next Big Thing)

As you may remember, in Microsoft's most recent round of layoffs, the company laid off Director of Business Development Don Dodge. Dodge is very respected in the start-up community and tirelessly defended Microsoft's technologies at conferences and to developers during his time at the company. When he was let go, many people were shocked by the move and were watching intently to see who would pick him up. On Monday, Dodge announced on his blog that he will be joining Google in a similar capacity to his role at Microsoft.

Now, Dodge will focus on evangelizing Google's technologies and platforms, instead of Microsoft's, to the developer community. Dodge said that within 90 minutes of the news of his layoff becoming public, Vic Gundotra, Google's VP of engineering (who also came from Microsoft), contacted him about this job opportunity with the company. On his blog, Dodge claims that he has already switched over to Gmail, Google Apps, and Chrome from their Microsoft counterparts.

It's great to see that Dodge landed on his feet so quickly after being ousted from his position at Microsoft and he will likely be a great asset to Google in dealing with the developer community.

[eltoro2827]

Oh well, hope he goes down with google.

[slickuser]

I read his blog post. All of a sudden, this guy discovers that Google products
are cool and better and only just now he switched to Gmail!!!!

He must have had a cave cube at microsoft!

[luvr1961]

Well, at least, he won't go down with Microsoft now, will he? ;-)

[mariovfernandez]

Don, again congratulations on your way to Google! PRA Enterprises will be looking out for you. Your experiences will be brighten up. Make us proud!

[heygeo]

uhmm... how exactly does he retain credibility when you evangelize based on who writes your check? as a dev why would I trust this guys opinion?! he should have taken a position with a technology un related or something that reinforces what he has been preaching.... now he's just a hypocritical sell out who comes off as bitter and mercenary.

[slickuser]

Exactly!!

[Cheese McBeese]

Dodge is a cheerleader. That's what cheerleaders do.

Evidently, the difference between a guy like Dodge and Ray Ozzie is that Dodge changes direction like a flag in the wind and Ray Ozzie fights the long fight against all odds to change the direction of the wind.

[Super2online]

I think people fight for what they believe in. He obviously believed in what he preached or was one hell of an actor. Now he will have to reestablish his credibility based upon his current actions. I personally would be listening to his words with a raised eyebrow and a cautious attitude.

[Hunnter2k3]

Oh god, alert the world, incoming chairs!

[ebenson1]

Oceania been fighting Eastasia the whole time. Where'd you get the idea we were fighting Eurasia? I'm calling the Ministry of Truth.

[SnowCrash8]

This has been played off that 'poor' Mr. Dodge out of the blue got dumped by Microsoft,and no one can understand why. Well, as they say there are two sides to every story, and my bet is Mr. Dodge was on the surface evangelizing for softee, but internally not into it. Microsoft recognized such, and like any self respecting company where a fit does not exist showed him the door.

But throwing out a conspiracy theory, it IS interesting how fast this guy got picked up by Google after allegedly being bounced by Softee. Did he have this in the works for a while, and maybe it got picked up on at Microsoft, and that's why they decided to act first.

[Criquer]

This is not a zero-sum game. Both MS and Google have technologies of value to the world, technologies that can be evangelized. And, Don did a lot more than that. Just check his blog and all the advice it contains for start-ups.

Anyone who objects to an evangelist changing firms (especially if not because of his own doing), should object similarly when software engineers, project managers, VPs, or C-level people move.

Otherwise evangelists must "disappear", if they ever lose their job, while CTOs or CEOs may happily move on to their next tech job. Figure that.